


When All The Stars Align

by velvetjinx



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Journalism, Fluff, Horoscopes, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 12:56:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11829198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetjinx/pseuds/velvetjinx
Summary: Steve writes horoscopes but thinks they're a load of crap. Bucky reads horoscopes and is pretty sure they're all true. After a chance meeting, Steve wants to get to know Bucky better, but even with the purest of motives he feels like he's messed it up. But does Bucky?





	When All The Stars Align

**Author's Note:**

> This is all the fault of me getting Weird Al Yankovic's Horoscope Song stuck in my head for an entire train journey, aided and abetted by the CapRBB slack chat's encouragement. Also as always ediblecrayon is an amazing cheerleader. 
> 
> Betaed by the amazing albymangroves.

Steve had never imagined that becoming a journalist would lead down this particular career path. It had all started at the office, when the previous guy had left, and the editor--Jim--had called Steve into his office. 

“How busy are you, Rogers?” Jim had asked, and Steve had shrugged. 

“Busy enough. Why?”

“You heard that Alex has left us?”

Steve had nodded. The buzz around the office was that Alex, resident psychic of the New York Daily News, had thrown a hissy fit over salary and stormed out. 

“Well, that leaves an opening for the horoscopes column. What do you think of horoscopes, Rogers?”

“I think they're bullshit, sir.”

Jim had looked at him appraisingly. “Good. How's your imagination?”

Steve had smiled. “It's pretty good, sir.”

“Excellent. You've got the job, and you'll get an extra thousand dollars a month for your troubles. How does that sound?”

Steve had blinked, feeling somewhat railroaded. He could hardly say no, but he was a little apprehensive. He knew nothing about horoscopes. But instead of saying any of this, Steve had shaken Jim’s hand and agreed. After all, the pay rise was nothing to be sniffed at. 

So Steve had bought himself some almanacs and took an hour every day to make up some bullshit for the daily horoscope column. Hilariously, his feedback was excellent. People were saying that his off-the-cuff horoscopes were the most accurate out of all the newspapers. Personally, Steve figured this was because he kept them deliberately vague enough that they could apply to anyone, but Jim was delighted with him so Steve was happy. 

No one outside the office knew who wrote the horoscopes, so he could continue also writing serious journalistic pieces without tarnishing his reputation. 

No one knew, until Bucky. 

***

It was Saturday, and Steve had gone into the office for the morning to finish off a piece on public transport in the city, as well as Sunday’s horoscopes. He finished everything off by ten a.m., and felt light as a feather when he left, free for the rest of the day. 

He wandered around the streets before coming across an occult store he'd never noticed before. He decided to go in and see if they had any new almanacs, and pushed open the door, the overpowering smell of patchouli hitting his nostrils. 

Steve browsed the shelves, trying not to snort derisively as he read some of the titles, before spotting a single copy of an almanac he didn't have. He reached for it at the same time that someone else reached for it, and their hands brushed. 

“Oh, god, sorry.”

Steve looked up and saw the hottest guy he'd ever laid eyes on. Long dark hair pulled back into a messy bun, just enough stubble to look stylish, piercing blue-grey eyes, and cheekbones that you could cut yourself on. 

“Uh…” Steve managed articulately, before mentally shaking himself. “Sorry.”

“Did you want the book?” the guy asked, and Steve shrugged. 

“It's fine. You can take it if you want.”

“Are you sure?” The guy smiled, and Steve's breath caught in his throat. “I wouldn't want to deprive you of a glimpse into your future.”

“I insist,” Steve replied with a laugh. “I don't really need it.”

“Okay. Thanks, man. I'm Bucky.” The guy--Bucky--held out his hand, and Steve shook it. 

“I'm Steve.”

“Well, thanks for this, Steve,” Bucky said, and Steve nodded as Bucky turned and took the book up to the counter. He watched for a second as Bucky laughed and joked with the cashier, before heading out into the sunshine. 

He wandered around a little more before reaching his usual coffee shop, and his stomach gave a quiet grumble. It wasn't quite lunch time, but he could definitely do with a snack. 

Coffee and blueberry muffin in hand, he looked over the coffee shop before grabbing the only available table, right in the corner. He'd no sooner taken a small sip of his coffee, when someone cleared their throat above him. 

“Uh, mind if I sit here?”

Steve looked up, and there stood a grinning Bucky. Steve nearly swallowed his tongue. 

“Uh, sure, no, yeah, feel free,” he said quickly, nearly stumbling over his words. 

“Thanks. We've got to stop meeting like this,” Bucky joked as he sat opposite Steve. 

“So did you get your book?”

“Mhm. Sorry I snagged it from you.”

Steve grinned. “I told you, it's fine. I just needed it for my job.”

Bucky looked at him curiously. “What kind of job do you have that you need an almanac?”

“Uh. I write horoscopes for a newspaper,” Steve replied sheepishly. 

“No way! Oh my god, are you psychic, then? That's so cool! I have a friend who I swear can talk to birds.”

Steve held up his hands. “No, I'm not psychic.” He looked at Bucky in confusion. “You don't, like, believe in all that stuff, do you?”

“Of course I do,” Bucky scoffed. “Especially, okay, so I was never much of a fan of the horoscopes in the New York Daily News--they were always a bit hit and miss--but recently they've been so accurate it's scary. Do you read them?”

“Uh, it's been known,” Steve said, hiding a smile behind his coffee.

“So which paper do you work for?”

“Hmm,” Steve hummed. “I don't think I'll tell you that. It'll ruin the mystique.” He grinned. “Especially since you know I think they're bullshit.”

Bucky shook his head. “I'm telling you. There's more to this stuff than meets the eye.” He looked at Steve with a smile. “Hey, can you give me a horoscope now?”

Steve sighed. “Sure. When's your birthday?”

“March tenth!”

“Hmm, a pisces, huh?” Steve had a sudden idea and grinned. “Today is an auspicious day. Something will happen today, or possibly already has happened, that will change the course of your life. It may be a small change, or it might be big, but it's definitely today.”

“Wow,” Bucky said, exhaling loudly. “That's amazing, Steve. I don't know how you do it.”

“So, uh. I know we've only known each other about half an hour,” Steve began, “but you seem really nice. Would you like to go out for dinner with me sometime?”

Bucky frowned sadly. “Sorry, man. I just got out of a relationship a couple of months ago and I don't think I'm ready for dating just yet.”

Steve’s heart sank, but he managed a small smile. “No problem. Just thought I'd ask.” He looked down at his empty coffee cup and sighed. “Well, I guess I'd better get going. Maybe see you around?”

“I'd like that,” Bucky replied with a smile, and Steve nodded before high-tailing it out of the coffee shop.

***

The following Saturday found Steve in the same coffee shop, this time munching on a soft croissant as he sipped his sweet caramel latte. 

Of course it was when he had a mouthful of croissant that someone cleared their throat above him. He looked up and swallowed quickly, nearly choking. 

“You okay?” Bucky asked, looking amused, as Steve hacked and coughed. 

“Fine,” he croaked.

“Mind if I sit down?” 

Steve gestured to the seat opposite with his left hand as he coughed into his right. “Go ahead,” he managed. 

Bucky sat down, setting a large black coffee on the table in front of him. “So how's your week been?”

“Good,” Steve said, clearing his throat of the last of the croissant. “How was yours?”

“Pretty good, yeah. We just upgraded some of our software so there were some teething pains, but aside from that it was fine. Oh my god, and the New York Daily News horoscopes keep getting better and better! There was a bit of a confusing one midweek, though--it said that a Cancer would want to get to know me better, but I don't think I know any Cancerians.”

Steve waved his fingers at Bucky. “Uh. I'm a Cancerian. My birthday is July fourth.”

Bucky's eyes widened. “No way! And… do you want to get to know me better?”

“Uh, yeah,” Steve said bashfully, smiling. “I really do.”

“There we go! It's amazing how that psychic really knows, you know?”

Steve hid a smirk and kept his own counsel. Frankly, he hadn't known if he'd ever see Bucky again, but he had to test the waters. 

“I still can't believe that you believe in all that bullshit,” Steve said with a grin. 

“I'm telling you, it's amazing how accurate they can be!” Bucky laughed. “So do you come in here a lot?” Bucky asked him, and Steve nodded. 

“Yeah, most weekends.”

“You live local?”

Steve shook his head. “Brooklyn.”

“No way! Me too!” Bucky said excitedly. 

“Really?” Steve was astounded. “So, uh. What are you doing in this part of the city?”

Bucky shrugged. “I like that occult shop. I go in there a lot, though mostly because my roommate works there, and I like to annoy him. He's the one who can talk to birds.”

Steve couldn't help but look at Bucky askance at that. “When you say ‘talk to birds’, what exactly do you mean?”

“Okay so, one time there was this pigeon that kept shitting on our balcony. And one day Sam had just had enough, so he went out and told it that if it didn't shit on our balcony again we'd feed it. Two days went by, no shitting on our balcony. We've been feeding it ever since.” Bucky laughed. “It's a fat motherfucker now, but it's never shit on our balcony since.”

Steve raised an eyebrow. “That's… really weird. And sort of impressive.”

Bucky nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. “Yeah. I don't know how, but that bird obviously understood him.” He took another sip before continuing. “So. Do you have any roommates with special powers?”

“Only Natasha,” Steve said with a grin, “and though I'm pretty sure she could crush a man's head between her thighs I don't think she has any superpowers, exactly. Or if she does, she hides them well.”

“Ouch. You must try and keep on her good side, then.”

Steve thought fondly of some of his and Nat’s epic bitchfights. “Not really, no.”

“Then you're a braver man than I am, Steve.” 

Steve smiled. “Nah, we've just known each other for a long time.”

They stayed talking until they had finished their coffees, then Steve looked regretfully at the rest of the packed coffee shop. “Well, I'd love to stay longer, but I think we should probably move and let someone else have this table.”

“It's the only polite thing to do,” Bucky agreed, and they walked out together into the sunshine. “So, uh,” Bucky said, flushing slightly. “Same time next week?”

“Yeah. Yeah, definitely,” Steve replied, smiling. “I'd like that a lot.”

“Awesome. See you around, Steve.”

“You too, Bucky.” They parted ways, heading in opposite directions, and Steve walked off with a spring in his step. Operation Woo Bucky was definitely a go. 

***

As the week progressed, Steve's conscience began to pain him. He didn't want to manipulate Bucky through his horoscopes; that wasn't his aim at all. He just wanted Bucky to give him a chance. But then, even if it was only mild, it was still manipulation. Steve didn't want to make Bucky do anything he didn't want to do, though, so he had to tread carefully. 

He decided to put his next attempt in Thursday’s paper. Biting his pen, he wrote various versions, before finally settling on,

_I know you've been hurt in your past. But perhaps it's time for you to stop and take stock, and decide what you want for your future._

Happy with that, he typed it up with the others and sent it off. He couldn't wait for Saturday. 

***

Saturday came, and Steve had almost finished his coffee when Bucky arrived, panting. 

“God, sorry, Steve,” he said breathlessly. “I got caught up talking to Sam and lost track of time. I feel really bad.”

He looked so dejected that Steve's heart melted. “Dude, no, don't worry about it. It's fine. I'd have been here anyway.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah,” Steve replied, smiling, and Bucky's face brightened into a wide smile. 

“Okay, I'm gonna go get my coffee. You want another one?”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, I mean…” Bucky squirmed a little. “I was late. It's the least I can do.”

“Thanks, man. I'll have a caramel latte.”

Bucky snorted. “That's what you drink? If I'd known that I wouldn't have offered.”

“Dick,” Steve said with a laugh, and Bucky grinned at him before going to get the coffees. 

When he came back, he was biting his lip nervously, and Steve wondered why. 

“So, uh,” Bucky said as he sat down, “you know how when we first met you asked me to dinner?”

“And you shot me down nicely, uh huh,” Steve joked. 

“Well, uh, I've been thinking and maybe… I think I'd like that.”

Steve looked at him curiously. “What prompted the change of heart?”

“So I know you don't believe in it, but my horoscope said that although I'd been hurt in the past I should maybe reexamine my feelings, and…” Bucky sighed. “I really like you, Steve. So I thought maybe we could try it and see?”

Steve suddenly felt sick. He had clearly manipulated Bucky into this--Bucky wouldn't even have considered asking him out if it wasn't what Steve had put in that damn horoscope. 

He shook his head. “I'm sorry, Bucky, I… I have to go.”

“Steve?” Bucky looked surprised, and a little hurt, but Steve just shook his head again and escaped, leaving his full coffee behind him. 

***

For the next few weeks, Steve avoided his usual coffee shop like the plague. He missed seeing Bucky, but there was no way Steve could face him after… after everything. He knew he shouldn't have written that damn horoscope, but he'd done it anyway, taking advantage of Bucky’s beliefs. It wasn't fair on Bucky. 

About a month later, Steve was leaving the office to spend the rest of his Saturday moping at home, when he heard someone call his name. His eyes widened and he whipped around to see Bucky running towards him. 

“You're a hard man to track down, you know that?” Bucky said with a soft smile, as Steve stared at him in surprise. 

“Bucky? What are you doing here?”

Bucky shrugged. “I couldn't get you out of my mind. And I wanted to know why you ran out on me. I mean, I thought we were getting on pretty well. Besides, I kind of like you a lot, and it felt like there was a lot left unsaid.”

“Bucky…” Steve sighed. “I'm so, so sorry. I manipulated you, and I just felt so guilty--”

“Wait. You manipulated me? How?”

Steve pointed to his office. “You know where I work. Which… how do you know where I work?”

“Trial and error,” Bucky replied, waving a hand dismissively. 

“Oh. So now you know I work at the New York Daily News, and I'm the one writing their horoscopes. And I wrote that one with you in mind, because I wanted you to give me a chance. But then it worked, and I felt so bad because I had manipulated your beliefs so you would date me.”

Bucky looked at him searchingly. “But you didn't. I mean, yeah, okay, it gave me the kick up the ass I needed to sit down and think about things, but it wasn't what made me ask you out.” Bucky smiled gently, cupping Steve's cheek. “You did that all by yourself.”

Steve leaned into the touch, his eyes closing. “Bucky--”

“Steve. I'm gonna kiss you now, okay?”

Steve opened his eyes and looked at Bucky, who was smiling, before nodding. Then Bucky leaned in, and as their lips met Steve felt as though a jolt had gone through him as Bucky's lips moved against his. 

At length, Bucky pulled back. “So. Dinner?” he said with a grin, and Steve laughed. 

“I'd like that.”

“Come on,” Bucky said, grabbing hold of Steve's hand. “Let's go get some coffee and figure out the details.”

“Okay,” Steve replied happily. 

***

Two months later, as they snuggled together on the sofa in Steve's apartment, Bucky reached down and picked up that day’s New York Daily News. He still read his horoscope in there, convinced that Steve had some kind of gift, and Steve just laughed and let him get on with it. 

Today, however, Steve bit his lip nervously as Bucky opened the newspaper and flicked to the right page. 

“I won't read yours out since you know what's in it already,” Bucky teased. “Okay, pisces, pisces… ‘Someone important to you has fallen in love with you. Please be kind.’”

Bucky turned to Steve, his eyes wide, and Steve shrugged. 

“I love you, Buck,” he said quietly, and Bucky pounced on him, straddling his thighs as he leaned down to kiss him. 

“Fuck, Steve, you are such a sap. I love you too,” Bucky said, laughing, and Steve grinned. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“That's awesome,” Steve murmured, before kissing Bucky again, and again. Horoscopes may be bullshit, but they had brought him Bucky, and he would forever be grateful for that. His stars had certainly aligned to bring him good luck, and love.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr--username velvetjinx!


End file.
